Molded composite heel and removable tap



May 25, 1965 Filed Feb. 15 1963 F. M. RONCI MOLDED COMPOSITE HEEL ANDREMOVABLE TAP 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

FERNANDO M. RONCI ATTORNEY y 1965 F. M. RONCI 3,184,865

MOLDED COMPOSITE HEEL AND REMQVABLE TAP Filed Feb. 15, 1965 .2sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR FERNANDO M. RONCI ATTORZY United States PatentFernando M. Ronci, Providence, RI. (2 Atlantic Blvd Centredale, RI.)Filed Feb. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 258,687 2 Claims. (Cl. 36-44) My presentinvention relates to the shoe making art and more particularly to anovel construction of a reinforced adjustable composite heel and taptherefore.

The present application constitutes an improvement over my patententitled Reinforced Composite Heel and Removable Tap, No. 3,048,932issued August 14, 1962.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide anadjustable, reinforced construction for a composite heel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reinforcedcomposite heel having a replaceable plastic tap.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a reinforcedcomposite heel having a novel molding method for adjusting the angle ofthe heel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelreinforcing core which is embedded in the heel during the moldingoperation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a compositereinforced heel which is simple in construction and is easy andeconomical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, myinvention consists of a novel arrangement of parts, more fully disclosedin the detailed description following, in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a womans high heel and tap embodying thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

FIG. 3 is ahenlarged section taken 'on lone 3-3 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 55 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the various elements ofthe heel of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, partially diagrammatic showing the angularadjustment of the heel.

In my patent above referred to, I have disclosed a method of making acomposite heel of vinyl plastic material with a separate reinforcingcore inserted after the heel is completed. However, this patent does notdeal with another problem in the manufacture of such heel. Each shoemanufacturer makes his own design of shoes and the various lasts are notuniform. The heels are supplied by a heel manufacturer and in order toensure the proper vertical positioning of the heel beneath the shoe, thetop portion of the heel must be angularly adjusted to the particularmodel shoe. Since large quantities are involved, most heel manufacturersbuild separate molds for each style of shoe. Where it is desirable tosupply a particular heel to several manufacturers, the top portion mustbe varied to fit the shoes of the several manufacturers. The presentinvention is designed to provide an angular adjustment which can easilybe made in the mold so that the same mold can be used for providingheels with varying angles in the top portion.

Composite heels are also plagued with a problem of separation. All typesof devices, such as shown in my above-mentioned patent, and differentgrooves have been used to insure the unity of the parts. The present in-Ice vention provides not only an adjustment, but also a novel method ofmolding the parts so that a single unitary structure results includingthe embedment of the reinforcing core.

Referring to FIG. 1, the womans heel comprises a broad top portion 10which is angularly disposed to the body of the shoe. Furthermore theportion 10 is usually concave as shown in FIG. 3. The broad top heelseat portion 10 tapers sharply inwardly and downwardly at 11 to anextremely narrow portion 12. It is this narrow portion 12 which requiresreinforcement. The tap 13 may be of any desired type but is preferablymade of a plastic material and is adapted to be molded on a core forretaining it in the heel a will hereinafter be described. As illustratedin FIG. 1, the heel is a single unitary construction except for the tap13 which is of course replaceable. However, the heel of the presentinvention is actually molded in separate parts as is illustrated inFIGS. 2 to 8 inclusive.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7 inclusive, the intermediate narrow portion ofthe heel 12 is provided with the reinforcing core 14 illustrated in FIG.7. The rein-forcing core; 14 comprises a hardened steel tube having awide gap 15 pinched together at 16 at a point spaced slightly above thebottom end. The pinching at the point 16 provides an area of smallerdiameter than the gapped portions above and below it. This is necessarybecause of the shape of the narrow portion 12. As can be seen in FIG. 2,the heel narrows down to a maximum narrow portion at the point wheresection 55 is taken. By pinching the tube 14 at this point 16 the heelcan be narrowed down Without exposing the tube and allow for sufficientcoverage by the plastic material. The portion 12 is first molded withthe tube embedded therein as illustrated in FIG. 2. The plastic materialenters the open gap 15 in the tube and fills the tube with the plasticmaterial as can be readily seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5. The upper endof the portion 12 is flattened as at 17 and extending from the flattenedportion 17 is a rectangular block portion 18. As can be seen in FIG. 2,the tube 14 extends upwardly into the block 18. In holding the tubeproperly in the mold, the fingers are preferably rectangular in shapeand extend inwardly from both sides to form openings 19 in the blockportion 18. These openings are formed by the withdrawal of the fingersthat hold the tube 14 in the mold. However, they have an importantfunction in the subsequent assembly of the heel. The rear wall of therectangular portion 18 is preferably formed at an outwardly extendingangle to form an undercut wall portion 26 as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 7,and 8.

During the molding of the intermediate portion 20, the reinforcing core14 is also held in place at its bottom end by a pin in the moldextending into the core 14 beyond the pinched portion 16. When this pinis withdrawn a narrow passageway remains which permits the insertion ofthe removable tap. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 7 the tap 13 ispreferably molded on to a short supporting shank 21 which may be fiutedor roughened on the exterior and which fits tightly within the lower endof the reinforcing core 14 as shown in FIG. 2. Some of the plasticmaterial flows into the reinforcing core 14 at its lower end, so thatthe shank 21 is actually squeezed against the plastic material coatingthe inner surface of the tube 14. This frictional engagement retains thetap 13 in position but it can be withdrawn and replaced whenevernecessary.

To complete the heel, the lower portion 12, having been molded asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7 is placed in a mold and the upper portion11 is now molded to it. As can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, when theupper portion 11 is molded, the plastic material not only joins to 'tionof theparts as illustrated in FIG. 8.

mold used in molding the various portions of the heel I permits anangular movement of approximately an eigth of an inch from either sideof the vertical between the the shoulders 17 and around theblock 18 ofthe portion 12,,but alsofiows into the openings 19, as shown in FIGS.

3 and 6 and firmly interlocks the parts beyond removability. Furthermoreas can be readily seen in FIGS. 2 and 8,

the undercut rear wall 2d firmly embeds the rectangular portion 18 inthe upper portion ll. so that it cannotbe forced away therefrom in use.The above construction thus provides a compos te heel which isreinforced and.

in whichthe several parts are firmly bonded to each other. If desired,the portions 11' and 12 can be simultaneously molded in a single unitaryconstruction.

However, when it is desirable to use a single style heel ttor varioustypes of shoes with varying lasts, an ad'- justrnen-t of the angularrelationship between the heel seat portion 10 and vertical portion ofthe heel 12 can be made during the molding operation. This permits a runof the particular heel with one angle for one manufacturer and a varyingor changing of the angle of the same heel for a second run for anothermanufacturer without the necessity of twoseparate molds. This isaccomplished by constructing andmolding the portion 12 separately asoriginally illustrated and described herein and as shown in FIG. 2 andthen varying the posi- The type of parts 11 and -12. This allows for anoverall adjustment from thevertical of a quarter of an inch which issufficient'to handle the different angles of lasts. As shown in brokenlines in FIG. 8, the position of the-mold with relation to the lowerportion 12 therein can'be varied to provide different angles to thefinished heel from the same mold. The full lines indicate the heel seatportion it) atits extreme tilted angle and the broken lines indicate theheel seat portion til at its smallest tilted angle. These variations'inthe mold have been made possible by the prior molding of the portion l2with the embedded tube or reinforcing core 14. and the construction ofthe upper portion of the section 12 so thatit will interlock heel seatsto in a different last or to go to the expense of V a second mold tomake a change in the angle of the heel seat portion. a

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to aperson skilled in the art.

I claim:

1.;A molded plastic heelfor a Womans shoe comprising a heel-seatportion-having a broad .top angularly disposed to the horizontal, saidheel-seatportion tapering block being encased in said heel-seatportiontto form said interlocking joint, said block having horizontalithin the mold with the second molded area 11. Since this type of heelis usually covered with material, any

seams between the molded parts will not be visible in the final versionof the shoe. a

I have thus provided a composite heel inwhich th 1 upper andlowerportions of the heel are both molded at different times but are soconstructed that they will firmly interlock with each other. The lowerportion of the heel is reinforced so that. it can be'rnolded extremelynarrow and the tap is held therein and is replaceable.

Furthermore, the particular molding operation permits.

adjustments in the angle of the heel Seat portions so that a single/moldcan be used for various lasts. This results in a considerable saving intime and money.

Productron is increased, as it is not necessary to re-grind finishedopenings and the material or said heel-seat tering said openings,

2. A molded plastic heel for a womans shoe comprisingy-a heel-seatportion having. a broad vtop angularly disportion enposed to thehorizontal, said heel seat portiontapering downwardly to anarrow-"vertical portion, the bottom end of said vertical portion,fiaringgoutwardly, a tubular hardened steel reinforcing. core embeddedin said narrow portion and extending from said .bottomend upwardly,throughfsaid narrow portion, said corelhaving a longitudinal gap, thematerial of said heel entering said core through said gap, and a tapremovably mountedat the bottom end of said narrow. portion, .theytop ofsaid narrow portion having an integral rectangular block, said blockhaving a transverse opening, said block being encased in .saidheel-seatportion andthematerial of said heel seat portion extending integrallyinto said transverse opening to form an interlocking joint.

References Cited by thev Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 59Fitzsiinmons 363 6 2,935,800 5/60 Ronci s's 42 3,048,932 8/62 Ronci r36- 34, FOREIGN PATENTS 879,761 10/61 Great Britain'.

JORDAN, FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID, 'J. WILLIAMOWSKY, FRANK 1.. COHEN,

- Examiners.

1. A MOLDED PLASTIC HEEL FOR A WOMAN''S SHOE COMPRISING A HEEL-SEATPORTION HAVING A BROAD TOP ANGULARLY DISPOSED TO THE HORIZONTAL, SAIDHEEL-SEAT PORTION TAPERING DOWNWARDLY TO A NARROW VERTICAL PORTION, THEBOTTOM END OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION FLARING OUTWARDLY, A TUBULARHARDENED STEEL REINFORCING CORE EMBEDDED IN SAID NARROW PORTION ANDEXTENDING FROM SAID BOTTOM END UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID NARROW PORTION,SAID CORE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL GAP, THE MATERIAL OF SAID HEEL ENTERINGSAID CORE THROUGH SAID GAP, AND A TAP REMOVABLY MOUNTED